Looking over the fields below, the morning sun lighting the carnage from last night's battle with the dragon armies of the Madarian Empire, Khelvan heaved a tired sigh. The wars had been going on longer than anyone could remember, the reasons for the war long since forgotten but the boiling hate between the two powerful nations enduring. The humans had sent emissaries for peace talks before many times hoping to end this eternal conflict with the dragons. But dragons had long memories and held grudges for centuries or more. He had slain so many of the wyrms that his hands would forever be tainted with the blood of dragons. He began his slow descent into the plain below, rivulets of sweat running down his back as he trudged along in his dragon scale armor. His enchanted swords bouncing lightly against his thighs as the soft ground crunched under his boots. He was a warrior but he had great skill in different types of magic. He laughed inwardly at the memory of how astounded people usually were to learn that of him. While it was true that he was human he did possess the blood of the celestials coursing thru his veins.
Across the barren plain littered with so many dead she stood on a high bluff her keen dragon eyes looking over the same field as the human from the realm of Arborea. Her wings flapped lazily in the morning breeze keeping her cool despite the already enormous heat. But she was a dragon and this heat was only a nuisance to her. Autha narrowed her eyes seeing the carrion creatures already picking at the corpses from the previous night's battle with the humans. They were such a fickle race, humans, and yet she always found them intriguing. Of all the mortal races humans had one of the shortest lifespans but they were one of the most prolific. Shaking her head, Autha spread her wings and leaped off of the bluff with her powerful legs, catching an updraft to lift her body. Gliding on the warm air currents she began a lazy circle of the battlefield looking for any wounded of her kind. She was a healer, an oddity since her particular specie of dragonkind was usually more apt toward spells and hexes to defeat enemies.
This last battle with the reptilian beasts had taken a great toll on the human kingdoms. Corpses littered the field, human and dragon alike, but for every dragon there were ten humans. Scanning the field his sight was drawn to a form moving above thru the sky, quickly he drew his blades, using the large oak nearby for cover. He knew what the beast was, a dragon, and it seemed that it had survived the battle unlike most of its companions. Khelvan sat in the shade of that oak tree watching the dragon carefully. From this distance it was hard to pick out details save that he could see it possessed black scales. His eyes narrowed dangerously, black dragons were the worst, most foul of dragonkind, and ones not to be trifled with if it was possible to avoid them. Being in the open field as he was he would be easy prey for the dragon should he leave the concealment given to him by the tree. Sighing, he sat and waited knowing that was his only option unless he wished to confront the beast.
The stench of the decaying bodies assailed her keen sense of smell as Autha glided over the field, occasionally beating her wings to maintain altitude well out of bow shot for any human archers. She feared little from them anyway as her obsidian scales were as hard as plate armor but it was still wise to be prudent. Most likely at least one dragon slayer would be among the humans and if he had survived it could spell her doom. Seeing nothing but a field of dead the female dragon decided to depart the area finally after she swept across the field once more. Turning to the east she began her journey toward a large lake she had seen previously, desperately in need to bathe and perhaps catch a small deer drinking from the water to feast on. She looked one last time as she sailed noiselessly over a large oak tree something alerting her senses. Quickly she scanned the area her keen eyes able to pick out the detail of each blade of grass below. Sniffing softly it had hit her then just as she circled the tree once more, the smell of human sweat. It was fresh and pungent, leaving no doubt that at least one human below still lived and was hiding in the shadow cast by the tree. Quickly she banked away and began to descend, carefully observing the tree for any signs of movement until she settled on the patched earth. Her talons digging into the soft loam as she squatted down on her haunches tucking her wings tightly to her back to avoid them giving her away or if she had to fight, to avoid them being damaged as much as possible.
This dragon was certainly an intelligent beast, but all dragons were to some degree highly intelligent. But this black one was more so then any dragon he had met before. As it descended he could make out more details of it, realizing that it was in fact a female of the species. Though her body was covered from the top of her triangular head down to the very tips of her taloned feet, he could tell she did not have the bulky form of a male dragon but instead possessed the sweeping curves of a female. He edged around the tree watching her descend knowing that she had likely sensed his presence even if she did not know where he was. But since the only cover in the entire field was right where he was there was little doubt where he would be hiding. He watched her land gracefully, her leathery wings tucking tightly against her back, a wise move for her to make. A dragon's wings were its most vulnerable spot and slayers are trained to go for the wings first and disable the dragon's ability to fly, the old saying being, "A downed dragon is a dead dragon."
This human certainly was skilled at concealing himself from sight, she thought to herself as she crept along low to the ground. Her tail swayed behind her with every movement an extension of the gentle swell of her posterior, something she was quite proud of. Licking her muzzle she sighed softly, feeling the cool breeze caressing her scales, Autha scanned around the oak for the human she could smell there. He must be trained as a slayer she thought with a sense of trepidation, and there could be more of them hiding nearby. Of all humans, dragon slayers were the ones she feared and despised the most, centuries of conflict caused by the action of one human slayer who launched a campaign of revenge against her kind. It was long before her time, before even that of her parents, their parents still barely out of the hatchling stage. Looking back at the oak tree, Autha roared in surprise when she saw the human leap out at her from behind a pile of corpses, bearing twin blades etched with Elvin runes.
He moved quickly, noticing the dragon's attention waiver from his hiding spot, he had to get out of here quickly but he could not leave the dragon alive to pursue him either. Moving low across the field he flanked the female beast using the corpses of some of her brethren for cover until he was close enough to strike. Seeing her attention focused on the tree again and away from him he readied his blades, leaping over the pile to strike at her quickly and injure her wings so she could not escape by the air. But the dragon was even faster despite her surprise, she quickly turned toward him, roaring in alarm and protest as she rolled to her back. Using her powerful tail to support her weight, she thrust her feet out at him, grabbing his wrists in her tight grip she wrenched the blades from him, sending them spinning off out of reach. His momentum carried him over the female as she rolled back and pushed him off with her strong legs sending him bouncing across the ground until he settled back under the oak tree.
Autha let out a sigh of relief, having blunted the human's surprise attack on her she had regained the initiative from him. But she did not expect it to end just with that. Regaining her feet she turned to face him again her tail lashing against the ground taking in his appearance now that she had him in her sight. He was a tall, robust specimen of humans, even under the scale armor covering his frame she could tell that he was healthy and strong. Curling her fingers to extend her claws she slowly approached him, speaking to him in the vulgar tongue of his kind, "I do not intend you harm, human. Leave now peacefully or I will have to do so." He barked with laughter, a vicious smile creasing his weathered face, "Do you think I fear you, dragon? I would not have attacked you if I did." Stopping, Autha stared at the human in stunned silence, he had replied to her in perfect Draconic, each syllable and tone spoken as fluently as if he were a dragon. Shaking her head, she halted her approach, "Perhaps you do not bet I have bested you and spared your life. Go now from this place of death or become a part of it."
Khelvan knew he had taken her by surprise when he replied to her in her own language, having studied dragons in depth his whole life, he find it wise to learn the language of the beasts he vowed to destroy one by one. Seeing her halt, he waited cautiously bringing the words of summoning to his lips but waiting to speak them aloud. She was fast and if he gave away what he was doing she would most likely leap upon him before he could act. Though he had battled many dragons he always had the advantage until now. She was right that she had bested him and she could have easily killed him if she wanted to. But she spared his life for whatever reason she had. Seeing her pause he quickly said the word of power, his twin Elvin crafted blades reappearing in his hands as if they were always there. Immediately he tucked into a forward roll angling his body to try to get around the dragon. Again she was faster than he was, performing a quick pirouette to her left, bringing her thick tail low and fast. Catching him in the chest, he sailed back against the tree again dropping his blades as he crashed into the trunk.
Autha leaped quickly her wings spreading to assist in her glide toward the human, pinning him to the ground with her weight. The dragon panted softly her chest heaving as she felt him stiffen under her, his eyes a deep rich blue like sapphires catching her in his intense gaze. "Go on, beast, finish me," he growled in defiance awaiting the fate which he believed she would give him. Leaning down toward him, her muzzle mere inches from his face, "Do not call me Beast, human, I have a name." Looking at her, his defiance still staring out at her, he cracked a wry smile, "Fine then what is it? I have a name too so why do we not share that delight so you know who you are eating." She growled at him deeply, "You could not pronounce it in your vulgar tongue and I will not let you sully my race's noble language any further." He barked in laughter, raising the female dragon's ire even more, "Then what should I call you since you do not wish to be called beast or dragon?" Autha stopped for a moment, he had caught her off guard with his question, but it was valid, grudgingly she accepted his logic. "So be it, you may call me, Onyx."
Khelvan watched the dragon pondering his question, he knew it had made her think and show that he was not just a dumb primate as most dragons seemed to perceive humans. Seeing that she did not intend to kill him, at least not yet, he began to relax slightly. There was no point in resisting further at that moment since the dragon who called herself Onyx had the upper hand on him. He would wait and bide his time before he made so foolish a move again. Reflecting at the short fight he realized that he had underestimated her. Even though by all signs she was still a young dragon, he could tell she was a very skilled warrior. Swallowing slightly he coughed looking up at her, "Then my name is Khelvan Ergothson." Onyx's eyes widened at the declaration of his name, he had killed many of her kind. She looked away for a moment emerald green eyes flitting over him quickly, "I have heard of you before, Khelvan Ergothson. You have killed many of my kind." She looked away for a moment, deep in thought as she receded to some distant place in her memory, "Yes I know of you very well. You are the slayer that killed my father."
